National Physical Laboratory Acquires Nucletron's Flexitron Brachytherapy Afterloader

TEDDINGTON, England, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the United Kingdom's national measurement institute, recently purchased a Flexitron® afterloader from Nucletron, an Elekta company. NPL will continue to offer its brachytherapy calibration service with the new afterloader, and ensure source calibrations in radiotherapy centers remain traceable to NPL's primary standard.

"We chose Flexitron because it is a highly advanced brachytherapy platform that met all our requirements, offering the accuracy necessary to achieve the scientific excellence we strive for," says Thorsten Sander, Senior Research Scientist at NPL. "Flexitron also provides us the opportunity to collaborate in the development of new technologies, to expand brachytherapy products and applications."

Nucletron and NPL have collaborated since 1992. 

Flexitron is an advanced afterloader that takes brachytherapy to a new level. With robust safety features and flexible 40-channel configuration, Flexitron is designed to treat both very small and very large tumors without reconnections, in intuitive 1 mm steps.

Accurate determination of source positions is simplified and reliability is enhanced with Nucletron's zero reference source positioning system, which defines dwell positions in absolute values. This significantly reduces the chance of human error; no additional measures or manual recalculations are required. Procedures take less time and are easier to check. Flexitron patented source drives are more precise and durable than ever, providing reliable treatment from year to year.

For further information see http://www.nucletron.com and http://www.npl.co.uk/ionising-radiation/.

About Elekta

Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives. 

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,300 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: http://www.elekta.com.